Alex Rodriguez denies links to HGH, clinic

Wednesday

Jan 30, 2013 at 6:00 AM

Alex Rodriguez has denied he was treated by the head of a clinic that a newspaper said sold HGH and other substances to the Yankees slugger. The Miami New Times reported in a story Tuesday it had obtained files through an employee at a clinic in south Florida that show Rodriguez bought banned substances there.

Alex Rodriguez has denied he was treated by the head of a clinic that a newspaper said sold HGH and other substances to the Yankees slugger. The Miami New Times reported in a story Tuesday it had obtained files through an employee at a clinic in south Florida that show Rodriguez bought banned substances there. The alternative weekly also named several other players as clients of the Biogenesis clinic run by Anthony Bosch. The newspaper said it also obtained records detailing purchases by 2012 All-Star Game MVP Melky Cabrera, 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon and 2011 AL Championship Series MVP Nelson Cruz of Texas. The clinic recently shut down. Major League Baseball said it has been investigating possible doping issues in south Florida.

Allen Iverson has turned down an opportunity to return to basketball with the Dallas Mavericks’ Development League affiliate. Iverson posted a series of tweets on Tuesday explaining his decision to decline an offer from the Texas Legends. Iverson, the 2001 NBA MVP with the Philadelphia 76ers, says, “While I think the D-League is a great opportunity, it is not the route for me.” He also wrote, “I realize my actions contributed to my early departure from the NBA.” The 37-year-old Iverson has not played in the NBA since the 2009-10 season.

A federal court in Philadelphia will hear arguments this spring on motions to dismiss lawsuits filed by thousands of former National Football League players about concussions. Oral arguments are scheduled April 9 in U.S. District Court on the motions. More than 3,500 former players have sued the NFL, alleging that not enough was done to inform them about the dangers of concussions and not enough is being done today to take care of them. The league calls the cases a labor issue that should be governed by collective bargaining agreements, not the legal system. The players say those agreements didn’t address long-term brain injuries and the league has a common-law duty to protect players. They also allege that the NFL committed fraud by concealing risks of repeated head trauma.

The Buffalo Bills will play one regular-season game a year at Toronto’s Rogers Centre for the next five seasons. The agreement between the team and Rogers Media includes one preseason game in 2015. Buffalo has won just one of its regular-season games in Toronto. The existing five-year deal expired with the Seattle Seahawks’ 50-17 romp over the Bills in December, but an extension had long been expected.

Gymnast Alicia Sacramone, who set a U.S. record with 10 medals at the world championships, is retiring. The 25-year-old had called it quits after the Beijing Olympics, where she was captain of the U.S. team that won the silver medal. But she returned in 2010 and won three more medals at the world championships that year, including a gold on vault. It was her second world title, following her floor exercise gold in 2005. Sacramone made a comeback last summer, but failed to make the team for the London Olympics.